About | Safer Victorian Hospitals

Why this, and why now

After the deaths of babies at Djerriwarrh Health Services, the Targeting Zero review set out how Victoria could detect and prevent avoidable harm. Governments acted on it, creating Safer Care Victoria and the Victorian Agency for Health Information to give the community and clinicians an honest view of hospital safety.

Those reforms only work if they are resourced, independent and acted upon. My reports and commentary set out how successive savings measures and restructures have weakened them, and what that costs patients and the public purse.

The timing is deliberate. An election is when governments, past, present and future, are most accountable for what they have built, what they have cut, and what they will do next. I have put the same questions to every party and will publish every answer in full.

The aim is not to favour any party. It is to rebuild, maintain and sustain Victoria's safety and quality infrastructure in the interests of the whole community: patients, families, and the clinicians who care for them.

Authorship, responsibility and independence

My own work

This site, and every report, briefing, letter and article published on it, is my own work. I researched, wrote and fact-checked the content myself, using the public sources listed on the Sources page. I take personal responsibility for its content, for any errors it may contain, and for correcting them.

Personal capacity

I publish this site in my personal capacity as a private citizen and medical specialist. The views and opinions expressed here are mine alone. They do not represent, and must not be taken to represent, the views, policies or positions of:

any organisation by which I am, or have previously been, employed, engaged, contracted, appointed or credentialed, including any health service, hospital, private practice, university, specialist college, professional association, government department or agency, board or committee; or
any other individual or organisation with which I am, or have been, affiliated or associated.

None of those organisations or individuals has commissioned, funded, reviewed, approved or endorsed this content, and I do not speak for any of them. Nothing on this site uses confidential information obtained through any employment, appointment or clinical role.

Facts, opinion and sources

Statements of fact are referenced to public sources as they stood at the date of last update, including media reports of material already in the public domain. Statements of opinion, comment and inference are my honest opinion, based on the referenced facts, and are offered in the public interest on a matter of government and political concern: the safety of Victoria's public hospitals.

Named individuals

Individuals are named on this site only in respect of the public role or position they held at the relevant time, or where they have already been identified in public reporting in connection with the statements or events referred to. Any other individual named here is named with their explicit permission. No criticism of any individual's personal conduct is intended or implied; the concern of this site is with systems, resourcing and public accountability.

Not advice

This site is general information and commentary on health policy. It is not medical, legal or financial advice, and it should not be relied on as advice about anyone's individual care. Anyone with concerns about their own care should speak with their treating clinician.

External links and copies

Links to external websites are provided so that readers can check the evidence for themselves. I do not control those sites and am not responsible for their content, and a link is not an endorsement. I keep private copies of the cited sources as a record of what they said when I relied on them; those copies are not republished here.

Independence and interests

The site is not affiliated with, funded by or coordinated with the Victorian Government, Safer Care Victoria, any political party or any candidate. I work in public and private practice in Victoria and receive no payment for this work. I put the same questions to every party and publish every answer in full.

Corrections

Accuracy matters more than anything else here. If you believe something on this site is wrong, please get in touch through the Media page, with the page and the source you believe shows the error. I will review every request, correct confirmed errors promptly, and note each correction and its date at the foot of the relevant page.

Copyright

Privacy

This site uses no cookies, analytics, tracking or third-party scripts. Fonts are served from this site.

Non-partisan purpose

This site is published by A/Prof J. Oliver Daly. Provided on a non-partisan basis, for transparency, with the intended benefit of improving the quality and safety of the Victorian health system for the community. It is unpaid, not advertised and not produced by or for any party, candidate or campaigner. The same questions are put to every party, and every answer is published in full.